Majestic
by A Starr Is Reborn
Summary: Today would be like every other. Performing miracles that stole away at her flesh, her very soul... but she'd keep going. Regardless of the pain, the deformities... She could do this. And so she would. She'd keep going until her mind or magic abandoned her. Whichever came first.
1. Chapter 1

**_A sight for sore eyes to the blind would be awful majestic_**

* * *

"Hello," she'd cured her fair share of blind people. Same for the sick and crippled. It was a regular thing. But this girl with her sunny smile struck a chord in The Healer. Something was different about her. "Are you she?"

"She...?"

"The girl with the golden touch?" That was new. It had a rather lovely ring to it as well. Her head dipped in a nod, and realizing how futile the gesture was she said,

"I am." and that sunny smile grew, swallowing the young girl's face nearly whole.

"Splendid!" She chuckled and the blind girl continued, "Oh I've heard so much about you, are you wearing your hood?" Another nod, then a quiet yes. "An odd thing isn't it to wear a hood when everyone knows you regardless?"

"I suppose..."

"But then again what do I really know I'm BLIND! Why DO you wear it anyway?"

"That's a secret."

"That's too bad but I suppose I understand. You don't know me and I don't know you so why WOULD you tell me amiright?"

"You talk a lot," she doesn't try to say it to be unkind, but it sounds harsh to her own ears. "I-I'm so-"

"Yeah I get that a lot. Lack of eyesight means I gotta make up for it somehow right? Talking. It's my real eyes. If that makes sense... it doesn't but trust me it's true."

"Right..." She stepped forward, reaching for one the babbling girl's hands. As soon as they touched she was silent. "What is your name?"

"What's yours?" She blew out a slightly frustrated breath. Most patients were awed or afraid. She didn't know if she hated or preferred this new type presented before her, grinning like a lunatic. She smiled despite herself, shaking her head and answering,

"That's not important-"

"It is to me, I want to know the name of the person that would give me the gift of sight."

Well. That was fair she supposed. And what would it hurt? She chuckled, finally leaning closer to the oddly grim faced girl and telling her in a whisper, as if to protect her name,

" _Elsa_."

"That's delightful," the blind girl closed her milky eyes and sighed blissfully. "Your name is incredibly beautiful." It was the only thing left to her that was.

"And your own?"

"Anna." Elsa breathed the name in. She was close to Anna's face. But she had to be for this part. Close enough that a shift of her neck might press their foreheads together, she shifted the grip she had on Anna's hand, threading their fingers.

"Anna," she breathed the name out slowly, letter by letter allowing the weight of each to pull at her lips as her eyes slipped almost closed. "Tell me a secret?" Anna's own eyes remained shut but her brows furrowed.

"A secret?"

"You DO know what a secret is?"

"Excuse me, Elsa," Anna scoffed. "I'm blind, not dumb." Allowing them both to laugh for a moment, she brought them back down with a squeeze of the hand wrapped in her own, butting her head softly against Anna's.

"I'm serious, Anna. I need a secret."

"What kind?"

"The kind that you've held closer to your heart than anyone or thing. The kind of secret you've never told any other soul." She bit her lip and squirmed for half a moment. Then took a deep breath and, taking a chance, leaned her head against Elsa's, through the cloth of the hood.

"That's pretty serious."

"That's the way it works," Elsa shrugged. "It's this or no sight. Which would you prefer?" She wasn't certain Anna would answer, started assuming the girl wanted to back out. Some people didn't want the help she could provide and she wouldn't force it on them. But Anna never moved back, and eventually she squeezed Elsa's hand.

"In my dreams..."

* * *

 ** _It would be the most beautiful thing that they ever had seen_**

* * *

Have you ever gone to bed blind and gotten up the next morning with the ability to see? It's a pretty novel thing. Anna had lost her eyesight when she was very young. A nasty, messy thing that whole affair had been, yeesh, you don't even WANT to know, just... so she'd been about four or five when it'd happened and had lived her life since then to the very best of her ability.

Happy, you know, pretty content at least. She wasn't totally helpless and she had good friends that loved her and a mother that took care of her. So imagine her surprise when one day her mummy just up and asked if she'd like her eyesight back. Like asking what she wanted for breakfast.

Bacon and eggs please. And yeah, sure, eyesight sounded alright why not?

Everyone everywhere had heard of the woman. The Healer that walked around always with a huge hood thrown up over her head. The woman that took your hands whispered into your ears and BOOM, sickness gone. She'd heard that this woman could help the crippled walk and bring the dying back from the brink. She'd heard that and a thousand things more. But no one had ever told her what it was really like to be in her presence.

She - Elsa -was a quiet woman. Even before the holding hands and whispering starts. Hardly spoke at all, but her presence was something else entirely. She felt when Elsa stepped into the room. Felt a flood of energy that, even as she sat now saturated in it, was hard to describe. It was so much to handle at once. A power. In her silence a deafening _something_ that roared and shrieked and made Anna's head spin. And yet it was also oddly soothing.

But that was probably the holding hands and whispering part of things.

Which felt uncomfortably clinical and disarmingly intimate at the same time. A strange combination of emotions she tried her best to roll with. But as she spoke in her own shamed mutters she would swear she felt this pressure. Like the room was swelling with that screaming energy something Elsa possessed, wore about herself like her hooded cloak. It probably WAS the cloak.

It made the most sense really.

So with the hand not gripping Elsa's tightly, she grabs a fist full of the cloak. It calms her anxious nerves crawling about like bugs beneath her skin, enough so she can tell her heart's desires. Her dreams are very personal. They're the only times she can see. Some small part of her wonders if gaining her sight will make her dreams less significant or entirely meaningless. She hopes not.

When she falls silent it's hard for her to not fidget. In fact it's impossible. She's some parts embarrassed and some parts terrified. There's a reason she's never told anyone her dreams. She's always been afraid that by speaking of them, it negates their power. She's afraid that now they won't come true. And she kinda wants to cry.

But then Elsa speaks. She can only describe it as gibberish. But she hears her name amongst it, and besides that, every strange syllable that comes from Elsa's mouth is heavy with her wailing energy something and it warms her insides. It's like a giant blanket being draped over her, immediate soft fuzzy comfortable heat. Her closed eyes tickle first but then it spreads throughout her body.

And it does tickle; she wants to laugh and it's almost unbearable holding back but she manages it until Elsa speaks but not in those tongues. She says,

"Anna?" And she's still whispering so Anna feels compelled to whisper too.

"Elsa?"

"Well, go on, open your eyes," She laughs. This beautiful breathy sort of thing. She buts her head against Anna's again. "Let me see my work."

So she does. And at first things are... not there. Like, she can't focus. She can't speak. It's hard to breathe. She can't focus, but... hazy shapes. Hazy shapes with splotches of color. Blinking and squinting, releasing her white knuckled grip on Elsa's cloak she rubs at her eyes. More blinking and squinting and. And there she is.

Elsa. The Healer. The girl with the golden touch. She's so close their breaths mingle. She's so close it might be uncomfortable but it isn't. Her eyes are blue. A bright brilliant unbelievable blue. And Anna smiles so hugely it hurts. Because. Because Elsa's eyes are blue. She. It's real it's.

"I," she breaks off and laughs. Not of her own will, it bursts from her uncontrollably. "I. I."

"You. You. You...?"

"Your eyes are blue." This time when Elsa laughs it's a snort and her eyes squint shut. She draws back but doesn't let Anna's hand go, shaking her head.

"They are, would you like to see yours?" Anna nods and Elsa finally untwists their fingers to pull her cloak aside and grab at a small mirror hanging from her belt. She fiddles with the knotted string keeping it upon her belt, finally handing the mirror over with a grin that the shadows of her hood can't hide.

Anna takes it and a breath. Deep. She closes her eyes again. Because this is the moment right? This redefines everything. She can see. And she's about to look into a mirror. This is it. This. Is. It.

She takes anther deep breath and opens her eyes, lifting the mirror before her face.

"Oh damn it."

Elsa blinks, the smile fixed upon her face falling. "What's wrong?"

"I still have freckles." When Elsa laughs this time, it's less laugh and more cackle. She's howling with laughter and it's louder than her energy something ever was. Anna's scowling. "It's _not_ funny. I always thought they'd go away!"

"It doesn't work that way," she's shaking her head, gasping, her lungs begging for air in between her persisting bouts of amusement. "They don't just disappear."

"Well how would I know I was blind!"

"Didn't you ever ask anyone?"

"...it's not funny." Elsa looks at her and she glares back and Elsa is smiling. And it's sudden that Anna realizes it. That she sees something in those shadows she hadn't seen before. It's odd. She has this feeling, like, like Elsa had been what is before her eyes the whole time but it's really only now she's noticed.

It must be the hood. It must be magic. Elsa's talking now.

"-they hurt or anything?"

"Huh?"

"Your eyes? How do they feel?"

"Perfect! Great, fine, AMAZING I can see, I can, I can actually," when she stares hard it's like those deep shadows don't exist. "I can see."

"Good," Elsa stands suddenly, dusting off her knees and behind. Anna's frozen. Kindly, Elsa holds out a hand for her. She takes it and Elsa pulls her to her feet "Good." She holds Anna's hand still and looks down upon her. Elsa is taller.

She hesitates.

"I'm coming with you."

* * *

 **Ok. So. Hi. This is a thing. Listen to music y'all. Kay out**


	2. Chapter 2

_**It would cause such surprise it would make all of their minds electric**_

* * *

All thoughts flee her mind, so that whatever she'd been about to say leaves her mouth hanging open. Eventually she wheezed out, and with some difficulty,

"Excuse me?"

"I'm coming with you." Anna repeated, but with a conviction that burned through her veins. Her mind was racing, pulse thundering. It was throbbing in her temples such that she felt dizzy. But that might've been the excitement. She could taste it, sweet on her tongue like a melting sugar cube.

She squeezed the hand still wrapped up with her own, though the grip was significantly weaker. And that was all that was needed. Blinking rapidly, her hanging jaw shut with a sharp _click_ of teeth meeting and she pulled her hand from Anna's, taking a (stumbling) step backwards. She was shaking her head back and forth, though when Anna peered into those shadows Elsa's face was still shell shocked.

"Why?" She spat out eventually, folding her arms together across her chest. Anna stepped closer. She was tempted to make a run for it. This was usually the part where her now-cured patient would thank her profusely and run to the nearest loved one to proclaim their health. This was the part where she gets thanked and then forgotten in the excitement to show off one's new and improved longevity. This was the part where her magic takes its toll upon her quite readily and harshly and she's glad to be left alone.

This isn't normal. This isn't right. This is terrifying and strange.

"That was magic," Anna says and Elsa is tense. It's hard to breath. "You aren't denying it..."

"Not magic," she coaxed the words out of trembling lips. "Miracles."

"Call it what you will," Anna took a chance and another step forward. "That won't change what it is." There was that pressure again. The bubble of Elsa's energy-something expanding, expanding. Her magic. And then, in the darkness of her hood those brilliant bright blues darken, a snarl twists at her lips. She steps closer to Anna, they could be touching if either of them twitches forward.

"Are you trying to threaten me?" She says it very lowly. But close as they are and with the bubble of magical something about to burst between them, it's the loudest thing she's said thus far.

"My grandmother taught me about magic," Anna says, back to whispers lest she break the moment and burst the bubble. "Before she died. No spells but... I know it when I see it. Feel it." She doesn't look away from Elsa's glaring eyes. Reaches blindly (haha blind jokes... She can still make those right?) for one of Elsa's hands. "Can you teach me?"

Well. She could pretty much say for certain that she didn't like this new kind of patient.

"Err, please?"

But at least she was cordial.

"Is..." Her anger cools however, so that she is soft spoken again and quite hesitant as she ventures, "Is this a joke?"

"Of course not!" Anna squeezed the hand she'd captured, that same fiery conviction searing into Elsa through the eyes she'd just healed. "I'm entirely serious!"

This _had_ to be a joke. It was unbelievable. It was just. Wrong.

"No. I don't believe you. I CAN'T believe you. What girl in their right mind WANTS to pursue magic? If what you say is true and your grandmother taught you anything you should know that magic is NOT an art you wish to dabble in." It was the most she'd spoken thus far. It was even enough that Anna paused to consider it.

Because she wasn't wrong. In any way. That was her grandmother's first thing to note about magic. It was why she wouldn't teach her anything. Too dangerous. But... but that still doesn't explain Elsa. Better than anyone else, she would understand the exact deadly nature of magic, but she uses it anyway. And... And if what Anna's fresh eyes had seen was indeed true...

That price was heavy.

"I don't care," shameless, the words burst from her lips. "I don't care. I want you to teach me." Maybe mood swings are a part of magic. She's snarling again. Pulls her hand back from Anna's grip to grab her by the shoulders and shake her.

"You stupid girl," she growls. "You stupid, blind, foolish girl. Do you even understand what you're asking!?"

"Y-yes!"

"NO YOU DON'T!" Elsa releases her flinching back as if burnt. Holding her hands to her chest. "Stupid girl..." She mutters almost to herself.

"I'm not stupid!"

"YES you are! Too bad for you," she's sneering now. "I can't cure stupidity!"

* * *

 ** _How could anyone tell them that some things are not what they seem_**

* * *

Damn. Damn damn damn. She can feel it now. She can feel it writhing about beneath her skin. She can feel it leaking out from her, thickening the atmosphere. Anna's breathing heavily and she probably can't tell that it's not due to any amount of anger. Hell, she's getting angrier and she was hardly even angry to begin with. Shocked maybe, and a tick terrified. But not angry.

And yet she's positively consumed by the heat of fury. Can hardly control herself. It's choking her too. It's magic. And no matter what she uses it for, magic never forgets it's core. So it infuriates her. It pours off of her in waves and streams, waterfalls and rivers. It makes the air in her lungs hot with rage. It makes her more than aware of Anna.

Every haggard breath she takes is an explosion of sound that nearly ruptures Elsa's eardrums. Touching her is like trying to hold lightening. The sight of her hair burns her lovely eyes blind. And for whatever reason as long as she is near Anna her magic won't exact it's pound of flesh.

And that does do an awful thing to keep her calm. Kinda the opposite in fact. Anna's eyes well up with frustrated tears, or angry tears, or just tears. And it stills Elsa for a moment. A moment long enough for Anna to push her as hard as she can.

"Nobody ever told me you were such a jerk!" On the last word she feels the skin on her back spilt. It takes her breath away. Anna stalks closer. "Everyone said you were great!" She pushes her again and across her chest she's split from shoulder to hip. "Everyone said you were amazing!" Her mouth fills with blood. Her vision is dimming and warping.

The next time Anna pushes her, she falls to the floor. It's ok though. She feels fine. Doesn't even hurt. Not a little. She closes her eyes for a few seconds and when she opens them again she sees a familiar face. She smiles and blood slips from her mouth, pooling beneath her cheek.

"Marshmallow!" She reaches out for him, trying to bring his fuzzy face closer to hers. But it's like grasping at smoke and his image wavers and escapes from her. And that's just frustrating. "Comeeere." She whines. It feels like she's moving. Her vision is swimming and she can't focus on anything.

She hears someone or something trying to talk to her but it's like she's underwater. She doesn't mind though. She still feels fine. Kinda. Kinda floaty.

 _Elsa,_ she makes out, _Elsa Elsa Elsa **ELSA!?**_

She coughs very violently, spitting up an obscene amount of congealing blood so dark it was nearly black. But as it leaves her and she sucks in a desperate breath, she's out of the water and straight into a furnace. Pain races madly throughout her, each heartbeat throbbing in the awful tattoos carved into her flesh. She pushes herself up on shaking limbs, only just barely registering her name still being called and a hand on her shoulder.

Her vision has black spots dancing about and that's making her even more dizzy and nauseous than she feels. She opens her mouth to groan or protest or something but she hacks and heaves and spits up more blood. There is someone on either side of her. Anna, and... Marshmallow?

"Elsa I don't think you should move just right now! You're really hurt and I'm REALLY sorry I didn't know that I was... I'm so sorry!" Definitely Anna. She swings her head slowly around to check and... she's right. Marshmallow. His head is tilted curiously, ears flicking. He's watching her with his mismatched eyes. It's him she asks,

"Where's my," she coughs, wet and painful and tasting distinctly of copper, then continues, "Where's my walking stick?" He blinks and jerks his head forward. She looks past the puddle of blood she'd left on the floor and sees it leaning against the wall. Before she can ask, Anna scrambles forward and grabs it. She's slower to return, holding the stick like it's a fragile glass something that might shatter should she handle it too excitedly.

"Here," she meets Elsa's eyes when she hands it over, but quickly looks away. "I'm sorry." She repeats. "I really didn't mean to hurt you."

"You didn't," Elsa rasps, using her trusty stick to stand on uncertain limbs. She leans her weight against it, weary. Marshmallow leans against her leg to offer support as well. It's all he can do given the company. "That was magic."

She almost expects Anna to protest, but she doesn't. She looks down, at her feet. Guilty? Good.

"Do you still want me to teach you, knowing that's what happens?"

"No. Not really," she admits lowly, looking up once more. She can still see it. The face Elsa hides in the shadows of her hood. She's smirking. Anna frowns, squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin high. "But I'm still coming with you."

Marshmallow looks up at Elsa, and she nods. He turns to Anna and begins growling in the back of his throat at the same time as he begins to stalk forward.

"Oh that's just not fair! I got your stick for you!"

"Yes," Elsa allows. "You did. And the violent nature of your previous blindness was painful to cure. So."

"And that's MY fault?" Her back hits the wall and the dog wolf (FEROCIOUS FURRY MONSTER) keeps stalking closer. "Why-why'd you cure me just to turn around and kill me?!"

"I'm not going to kill you," Elsa steps closer, smiling. She passes marshmallow and stops right before Anna. "I'm just inspiring you to be truthful. Big Fluff-" Marshmallow growls. "-over there is very inspirational, wouldn't you agree?"

"Uh huh," she's nodding her head so fast it rattles her brain but, you know, Marshmallow - err, Big Fluff? - really IS quite inspiring and she'd answer anything and everything right now she felt such glorious inspiration.

"So, Anna... you wanna follow me? Learn from me? All that jazz?" More nodding. "Why?" Anna's shifting restlessly and eyeing Marshmallow over her shoulder but the question stills her. That same serious, grim expression she wore when requesting Elsa's name falls over her features. She meets those bright brilliant beautiful eyes.

"To lessen the burden you carry." She seems almost surprised by her words. Elsa certainly is. But she nods once and repeats it, "I want to lessen the burden you carry. I want to help you heal and help chase away the pain that follows healing another. I don't like pain, I'll admit, but I see you. I SEE, and you did that... I want to lessen your burden and learn your secrets that I might heal you too and take away the pain, even if only for a second, a minute, a moment-"

"You talk a lot," Elsa sighs, stepping back and waving Marshmallow off. "And you aren't blind so you'll have to come up with a better excuse as to why that is if I'm to put up with it." She starts to slowly limp her way towards the door.

"Sooooo?"

"Tell who you need or tell no one. Pack what you need or pack nothing. I'm going, and far be it from me to stop you from being foolish and blind even despite my efforts and magic." she's seized from behind, the pain flaring up fresh as Anna squeezes her tight, squealing all the while.

"ThankyouThankyouThankyou-"

"LET GO OF ME!"

Marshmallow watches, laying his head down on his paws. He should probably help but... nah.

* * *

 **Marshymoo is important but that's going to become obvious. THANK YOU EVERYBODY, reviews favorites all that shit... I seriously love you guys THANK YOU, did I say thank you?**

 **Alright, peace.**


	3. Chapter 3

**_In such disbelief I thought I was asleep when I met you_**

* * *

So Anna's dreams are super important to her, right? Well it's more than just because she could see in them... it's like... Well, so there was always someone by her side. And she'd been having these dreams forever, ok, she'd grown up with these dreams. She'd grown up dreaming of a person, a friend. A true companion.

And, ok, so maybe having to confess that to Elsa had endeared the Healer to her. And maybe her eyes were the bluest blue to ever blue a blue. And maybe she'd been almost really nice and approachable before Anna had gotten the nerve up to make her demands. And maybe sometimes... maybe sometimes Elsa reminded her of her dream companion and that also endeared the Healer to her...

BUT, besides all of that she had no reason to be here right now. Yeah, that's what she's hedging about. Sure, Marshmallow was cute and she talked to him at this point way more than she talked to Elsa. Mostly because Elsa had bitten her head off two days ago about shutting up. And she'd argued back and they'd both started yelling and...

Things weren't as comfortable as they could have been. Those brilliant blues had drawn her in but it was a trap. Her dream companion still lived in her dreams. Her dreams still existed. But now they continued in darkness. Ah disappointment was an old friend indeed. Gaining her eyes had taken the vivid colors and sights from her dreams. But she could still hear her little friend. Could feel them at her side, clutching her hand tight. Could hear them describing her colors that existed only within her mind.

But she shouldn't be here. And she was starting to understand that. The world, everyone always said, was small. Or smaller than you think. And personally, she thought they were a bunch of idiots that'd never had to walk the world on foot. Because that's what she was doing and, spoiler alert, the world was actually HUGE.

Elsa and Marshmallow appeared, the both of them, totally fine with endless waking and silence. But not Anna, oh no. She hated walking forever and ever it was BORING without conversation and she only had two people to talk to. Err. One. And a half? She'd been told that Marshmallow was Elsa's familiar so... And a half? Whatever. Two. He counted.

BUT SHE ONLY HAD TWO PEOPLE TO TALK TO! Not only was she bored beyond bored but she was lonely. It was becoming more and more obvious to her that she didn't belong here. She was an annoyance a hindrance. And she was bored. Like claw her eyes out bored. Had she mentioned that yet?

"Anna-"

"YES, I'M HERE!" Elsa and Marshmallow did that thing where they give her identical disapproving looks and she winced. Clearing her throat, "uh, sorry. You can, um, continue."

"...right," she drawled. "Anna you've been so well behaved these past few days and remarkably quiet. Given that I think you deserve a reward." Elsa was smiling all pleasant but Anna would not be fooled. And she HAD to say it,

"I'm not a dog y'know."

"Whatever!" Elsa was scowling again but... she wasn't a dog, ok? "Do you want to learn magic or not?!"

"... ok is that a trick question or are we being serious?"

"Anna I swear-"

"Yes, ok, yes I'd like to learn." It was what she'd wanted since she was seven. Even knowing it was dangerous, incredibly awfully dangerous, it didn't tame that want to lessen the burden. Even knowing she had no right to know magic, knowing she didn't belong here couldn't rid her of that need.

"Great!" She's back to smiling and claps once, "This time I'll take it easy on you." Which doesn't bode well for Anna really. Elsa seats herself on the ground and Anna hesitates but sinks down before her. Eyes of caution, mouth set with something determined.

"So am I allowed to talk again?"

"Oh are you still upset about that?"

"Uh, yes. Yes I am. But please go ahead... teach me oh teacher of things." Elsa sighs. And then huffs. And then she sighs again. She's fiddling with the hem of her cloak.

"You don't understand," she begins lowly. "I'm not just... I'm NOT just getting mad at you and snapping at you for no reason. I'm not limiting your speech to be cruel though I will admit I do enjoy the quiet quite a bit."

Anna was scowling. Elsa sighed again.

"What was your grandmother's name?"

"If you'd been listening to me before you'd know that," is she smiling smugly? She feels smug and she's smiling so it must be. So she hadn't felt she belonged from the get go and had spent a good many hours nervous rambling those first few days. Up until Elsa put a stop to it. Quite furiously and loudly.

She'd mentioned this already. But she'd mention it again and again. Excuse the piss and vinegar out of her but she'd been offended by what'd been said thank you very much. It's awful when your dreams crash and burn, but getting verbally abused by her rescuer kinda did that. She was bitter. And sad. And bored. And felt out of place. And wanted to go home.

But she was also stubborn and had already accepted the task she'd set herself to. Just with a touch more sass.

"Anna that isn't fair, were _you_ even paying attention to yourself?"

... damn it.

"Sophie."

"Did grandma Sophie every try to teach you exercises? To practice with magic?" Anna shakes her head in the negative. "Good. Clean slate."

"What's so good about that? Shouldn't practice help?"

"Mmm, not necessarily it's," she was looking at Anna again. Ice chips peering out from darkness, pleading for her to just get it. "It's hard to explain."

"Try."

"Magic isn't like a muscle," Elsa says eventually. "It's like a gun. It's not something to play with on your own. It is physically heavy when you feel the pressure of it."

"I remember," Anna nods. How could she forget?

"You should. But... when you're the one holding it it's a different story. Lighter than air. All powerful. The kickback can be quite nasty... it's just not something to practice alone. It's not something to play with."

"I wouldn't... I wouldn't _play_ with it."

"And what if it misfires? What then?"

"Well have _you_ -"

"YES of course I have! There's a good damn reason I wear the hood!" Anna can't think of anything to say to that. So she says nothing. Eventually she ventures,

"So if magic is like a gun why do you always end up shooting yourself?"

"... alright maybe I used a bad example. Umm, alright, forget everything I said about magic. New idea, let's start it like this... What are you most afraid of?"

"Is this still teaching? I'm confused teacher, help?"

"Anna please," she's not sorry, and she won't apologize. Messing with Elsa is fun.

"Hmmm, you know I'm not quite certain. I suppose I'm afraid of silly things-"

"It's not silly," Elsa stopped her. "Fear isn't silly. Even illogical fears."

"I don't like centipedes," she admits. "Too many legs. Most other bugs have like six, or eight. Why do you as a bug require eight trillion legs? It's just unnatural!" Elsa laughs and she stops in her rambling to appreciate it. She has a lovely laugh. If only her personality matched. "But why is that important?"

"Well... Magic is more than commanding the energies of one's self or universe to bend. It's a... coaxing thing. It's a living breathing entity that you must convince to your side. That's just in a general sense, mind you. There's a power to words that must be appreciated. Secrets. Lies. Fears. Hatred. Love. These things are powerful all their own but in the arena of magic?" She shakes her head and she's grim faced once more.

"Ok so what can you do with my fear?"

"Hmmm. Illusions. Dream infiltration. A few charms."

"Cool," she chirps without thinking. It earns her a glare. "Uh. Not cool?"

"Dangerous," she corrects. "You waste words. You mindlessly unleash them into the air. There's good reason to silence you. You could very well kill us both the way you shoot your mouth off."

"Sorry," she grumbles almost to herself.

"It's ok. Believe it or not I was once like you," and now Elsa receives the most disbelieving of stares. "It's true! But I was, err, taught otherwise. Like I'll do for you."

"Right," Anna smiles and nods but she's still looking at Elsa like she's crazy. "Sure. Okay."

* * *

 _ **My heart liquefied and I sighed oh this must be a dream**_

* * *

Anna talks in her sleep sometimes. Elsa does too. Marshmallow told her so. But Anna talks in her sleep a lot. Not just words or even sentences. But whole paragraphs and novels, great encyclopedias of sleep talking. It's kind of scary, actually, to think about. Anna scares her. The almighty golden handed Healer and she was terrified of an untrained teenage girl.

An untrained teenage girl that unknowingly had more magic than she had a right to. An untrained teenage girl that was too damn oblivious to notice she woke up every morning in a bed of flowers that'd been absent the night before. She spent her nights whispering to the earth and It answered. Elsa was almost more afraid of leaving her untrained, and Anna was such an eager student it was harder turning her down than it should have been.

Marshmallow insisted that she thought Anna pretty and craved the eye candy to break up their painfully (but like, literally though) dull routine. But he wasn't allowed to talk in public anymore due to that little assumption. He also found that funny and spent his time each day saying everything with these annoying little looks that were NOT as smooth and discrete as he pretended they were.

It was like a nightmare and for the life of her she could not figure out how to wake herself up. On the bright side, it'd been a month or so since Anna has first joined them and maybe if Elsa taught her everything she knew very quickly, in another month Anna would just disappear... or she'd steal her eyesight and leave her to the wilderness. Which ever came first.

Marshmallow disagreed. If you didn't know better one might confuse the sound he made now as he stared her down to be a growl. He was really just clearing his throat obnoxiously. He couldn't read her mind or anything, but he might as well have.

"Shut up."

"Didn't say anything," Anna sighed, a few steps behind the odd pair. "Or hadn't you noticed?" Elsa didn't appreciate the tone, considered telling Anna as such. But she resisted the urge, knowing it would only start more arguments and lead to more situations like these. Instead she informed the girl,

"I wasn't talking to _you_."

"Funny. He wasn't talking to you either." She couldn't tell if Anna knew Marshmallow could speak but sometimes it seemed like she did. She hadn't expressly forbidden him from speaking to her (charge? Apprentice?) untrained teenage sycophant. Uncertain, she settled her ire equally upon them both,

"I hate you guys."

"We love you too." Anna had this uncanny ability to unwittingly tap into her magic. Her own tense mood had been darkening the air, hiding the sun behind clouds and bringing brisk winds. But in a second it was all gone, a warm breeze blowing in the scent of flowers while the sun broke gloriously through her clouds."Awww yes! The sun finally came out!"

She was strong. Her magic was strong. It was easy to want to fall prey to it. It was warm and washed over not unlike the heat of sunlight on her skin. It smelt floral and fresh and left a sweet taste in her mouth. Like honeysuckle. Her magic was like honeysuckle. If painted it would be in shades of buttery yellow and soft white.

Pain lances through her. Like a punch to the gut. It drops her to the ground and steals her breath away. It reminds her that her own magic is painted in much darker shades. And that her own magic doesn't like her very much at all.

"Elsa!" Anna's pulling at her and she's afraid that Anna might see her face so she snaps and snarls and almost backhands her flinching away growling,

"DON'T. Touch. _ME!_ " She's so sad. So pretty. (Marshmallow isn't right though, ok?) It makes her stomach knot (flutter). It makes her face warm. It makes her say, and quietly, "I'm. I'm sorry."

And Anna, busy scowling at her hands as she pushes herself off the ground, Anna falls. It's as if she's gone boneless the way she crumples to the ground. Her mouth is hanging open. Had she really been so cruel this whole time that a simple apology rocks Anna's world so extremely? Over Anna's shoulder she spies Marshmallow nodding very slowly. She scowls, and, standing, offers a hand to Anna.

"Sorry," she mutters once more, but now it tastes bitter. Stupid Marshmallow. He doesn't know a damn thing.

* * *

 **I'd like to add more to this, but I can't imagine any way I could. So that's all folks. Thank you everyone for stopping by to check me out. I'm tired. It's snowing. Ok byyyyeee**


	4. Chapter 4

**_If I forget to set the alarm and sleep on through the dawn don't remind me_**

* * *

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Anna was certainly bold. And that was the kindest word Elsa could think of. A snarl twitched at her lips. "I told you my fears for _your_ magic, fair is fair."

"Yes but these are-"

"AND I told you my dreams for the eyes!" Her nails bite into her palm and she wants to deny everything. She's really reconsidering her position on that whole 'snatch Anna's eyes and leave her to die in the wilderness' thing. It was really only Marshmallow that had argued her away from it. And he was just a familiar really she shouldn't give him so much freedom. She shouldn't be so nice to her apprentice.

 _It wasn't how she was taught..._

"Fine."

"And I've been putting up with your attitude and I'm pretty sure the dog can talk but he's ignoring me and I think-"

"I SAID FINE!"

"...oh." Oh. Well. That was. Unexpected. "Wait really? Just like that?"

Biting back the urge to snap at her young charge or take a stab at her intelligence, she nodded sharply. Sighing. Anna's words registering just then, she blinked slowly and regarded Anna through narrowed eyes.

"You think the _dog_ can _talk_?" Anna's cheeks flushed. Well when she said it like _that_ , it sounded just this side of crazy.

"Err, that is I meant-"

"He's not a dog. I've told you before, he's my familiar. If he'd be any kind of regular creature he'd be a wolf."

"... You aren't denying that whole part about the talking."

"..."

" _I knew it!_ "

"Can we _please_ just get on with this!?" Elsa snapped, bringing Anna out of a small victory dance. The young woman nodded, expression serious but eyes still glowing and warm. Taking a deep breath, she smiled encouragingly at Elsa, holding out a hand. She hesitated for only a second before filling the space. Their fingers interlocked and palms pressed tight, Anna took a moment to close her eyes and call to the magic within her.

Elsa bit back a hiss of pain, her own magic as anti-social as always. She reigned it in, though it lashed out at her a few more times before settling down. Every inch of her palms pricked and tingling unpleasantly as Anna's magic met her own. Anna's eyes opened and though she felt an urge to duck her head to hide, Elsa met her gaze. Apologetic.

But Anna wasn't accusing. She seemed, if anything, understanding. The bite of her magic, vicious and temperamental, brought her out of the daze she'd fallen in. She squeezed Anna's hands and the girl turned serious again, nodding once.

"Elsa," she sighed out the name, pulling on their hands so the woman would step closer to her. Her eyes closed again and she leaned closer. "Oh Healer of my eyes and Teacher of Ways. I beg of you the gift of a Treasured Memory. One of Great Love."

Elsa wanted to tell her to calm down, being so serious was silly and unnecessary. But that could break her intense concentration. She was nervous enough, pointing that out would do no good. So she took a deep breath and craned her neck down so she might press her forehead against Anna's. Her eyes snapped open, glowing and swirling with magic. Pride and _something_ warmed her.

"The first time I ever healed someone was for my mother. I was six. She was dying. I'd never seen her so angry before, when she stumbled out of her bedroom and saw me with a knife and the neighbor's dog dead on the floor. And all she said was, 'You couldn't do that in the garage?' and then she fell to her knees and hugged me and. We just sat there all night. In that pool of blood and crying. And it was the happiest I'd ever been."

The air around her is thick with magic. A dark shroud of her own being choked by the overwhelmingly powerful energy of Anna's magic. Her skin hurts, like a sunburn. Her magic is being forced back, and only Anna's is touching her and it's. It's unlike anything she's ever experienced. She's crying. It hurts and it soothes. It's making her feel, EVERYTHING, and all at once.

She misses her mother so dearly, it's an ache rivaled only by the immense pain of curing the sick and crippled. She misses her youth, the innocence she'd had and the face that'd been hers. She loves Marshmallow, because despite everything he stands by her side, forever true. She. She adores Anna. The light and warmth of her so refreshing, so wonderful, so-

"FUCK!" Pain shoots through her temple. As though she was struck with a bat across her forehead. She falls away from Anna, reaching up to- "What the Hell did you do!?"

"I," her round eyes are watery. Had. Had she witnessed Elsa's thoughts? "I was just trying to help! I'm sorry I-"

"My horns are gone!" She doesn't know if her tone is accusing or disbelieving or what. It just is, she states fact. She realizes only too late what she's said. She nearly slaps herself. But. But Anna just smiles and nods.

"Yes! I was hoping that would happen. My magic can be very lazy but it responds well to you," she admits with a laugh. Sheepish. "Well, come on! Show me!"

Anna had known. About the horns. Anna had _known_. And she'd been so careful, when did-

"They were the first thing you saw," she breathed, eyes wide, trembling hands reaching up up up for the hem of her hood. Responding immediately to the request despite herself. Despite her limbs felt heavy and cold, as though weighted down by miniature glaciers. "You saw my face but..." her fingers twist in the fabric but her limbs stop. Truly frozen. "But you followed me. You INSISTED on following me... Why?"

Anna doesn't answer immediately. She stands there for a good bit, staring down blue eyes clouded with confusion. A spark of something that speaks of fear. So she wears her biggest and best smile, stepping forward and reaching for Elsa's trembling hands. Magic still sparks from her fingertips, leaping to meet Elsa before they can touch. It causes Elsa to flinch but that doesn't deter Anna.

The hood falls back.

* * *

 ** _I'd rather be dreaming of someone than living alone_**

* * *

Elsa was just eight when she was abandoned. By no fault of her blood. At least, no fault of her mother. Mother had died in a much quicker way than cancer in her bones. And no amount of pain and death sacrifices could bring her back. When it came right down to it, the dark magic that ran in her family, the magic her mother could never harness, always feared, it was as worthless as the tears she wasted on the dead.

 _Cry not for the dead,_ Mother had always said. _Cry for the living that suffer them._

It felt so different when the dead was her mother. She was too young to be without family. She'd just gotten her mother back. It wasn't _fair._ Later, when her grandmother, high priestess of something vile that Elsa would come to destroy, later she'd learn that her magic was supposedly her tool to balance how unfair life was. Beyond even that, the truth she would learn is that magic is a conscious thing and will not be used as a tool.

Magic had needs. It feeds off of emotion, memory. Fear and love, hate and pain and pleasure. Joy and hot hot rage. Sometimes it's demanding. Sometimes it feeds off of blood. Sometimes it feeds off of death and life. Souls.

She spent a year of her life wandering. Mostly running. Her magic was, is, anything but nice, and though it protects her, it causes terrible awful trouble everywhere she goes. In a way, it's awfully good luck that her grandmother finds her. Teaches her. Awful, mostly, but some good did come of it... She at least knew how to control her magic, well enough to wrestle control into her hands. So when she healed others, no one had to die, no blood had to be spilt but her own. Pain and blood spills were only temporary, weren't they?

So her magic started etching scars into her. Tattoos, she called them. Trying to wear them with pride, but covering them with shame - and a hooded cloak to make her mysterious. It did other things. Her toes were webbed. Her ears were not her own, more similar to a beast. She had a tail. Half of her body was being taken over by a case of green, reptilian scales. She'd had horns. But they are gone. Leaving a pale canvas covered in mountainous ridges of magnificently ugly scar tissue. A crooked nose.

She was so terrifying to gaze upon, she'd induced labour in the heavily pregnant only by allowing a glimpse of her face. Children screamed and cried and shrieked that saw her face. Fully grown men, fighters lovers philosophers, had become physically ill and shit and piss themselves with just a moment of study upon her horrendous, marked face.

Since the first day magic had truly taken its toll upon her, she had only ever dared dream that someone could stand the sight of her. In her dreams, she clasped hands with a beautiful person. A person so beautiful her eyes could not perceive of them. Only their voice. Only their warm, comforting presence. They loved her, and she loved them.

But dreams were only dreams, they ended with her waking into a world that filled her with bitterness.

This felt like a dream. But. Really, it felt much more like a nightmare. Her hood was down. Her _hood_ was down. She could feel the sun warm her cheeks, but distress let loose her control over her magic, the weather responding accordingly. Cold wind swept through the trees - at least they weren't out anywhere someone could see her - and the sunlight grew weak.

"Beautiful," Anna said. And she was standing so close already, but she stepped closer. Had her arms always been wound behind Elsa's neck? The Healer couldn't know. Anna was touching her, tracing the network of scars spider-webbing across her face. Reverent. Awed. "You're beautiful, Elsa."

She wouldn't be able to recall how she untangled their limbs, if asked. Just that a sudden fury hit her and she ripped herself away without hesitation.

"Liar," she spat.

"I'm not," Anna insisted before she had a chance to rip into the girl. "You were the first thing I saw since I'd been a little girl-"

"You're still just a stupid little girl!" Anna nodded, continuing,

"And besides that, you healed me. I've seen you heal others. I've seen you when no one sees you. I've seen you lash out at everyone and anyone around you to chase them away, lest they get too close, see your face," Elsa grinds her teeth, eyes squeezed shut. Stupid girl. Stupid, stupid girl. "But you won't scare me. You can't. You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I won't give you up. I won't give up on you."

"If I'm so beautiful," Elsa spits out, blazing blues opening to glare into Anna's windows to the soul. "Then why did you remove my horns? Were they not so, _so_ gorgeous!?"

"They were," Anna admits. Blushing, "They were... actually pretty majestic." Elsa laughs. It sounds insane. It might be. "But you hid them. Ashamed. You didn't want them."

"Their removal won't change anything!"

"Their removal is already changing you," Anna needed to not step so close to her. "You're frightened. You don't have to be. I just want to give you freedom."

"You, you," she couldn't decide what to say. Couldn't admit to anything. She reached up to grab fistfulls of her hair and for the first time in forever her knuckles didn't knock into horns on the way up. And it struck her. The breath left her body and her eyes felt wet and and and-

She was crying, smoothing her hands over her forehead. Those horns had been so thick, taking up the whole of her forehead and. And scar tissue remained but they were gone. The hood would droop terribly. She'd look ridiculous now. Unbidden, laughter that bordered on insane burst right out of her. So she was laughing and crying and touching her face uncontrollably.

Anna was kneeling before her - when had her knees buckled? - reaching out, smoothing her own palms over the immense amount of scar tissue.

"I'm sorry I couldn't entirely rid you of them. Scars are difficult."

"I know." And when had she taken those hands in either of hers? Why was she pulling Anna to her in a fierce hug, squeezing her eyes shut even as more tears forced their way out? "Th-thanks."

"Always."

"So," a deep rumbling thunder cloud of a voice jolted them apart. Marshmallow lay close, head on his paws, watching them with what could only be a smile baring his deadly fangs. "Does this mean I can talk again?"


End file.
